The emergence of world Christianity as a discipline in theology follows the arduous, painstaking work of theologians and historians chronicling the statistical growth of Christianity, its polycentricity, diversity, and distinctness. World Christianity eschews dominance from any center of Christianity over others in its emphasis of the autochthonous nature of expressions of Christianity among various cultures and peoples. It flourishes within the context of the manifold forms of globalization and attendant pluralism, especially religious pluralism. Christianity in each part of the world is contextual, reflecting its cultural, politico-social, and economic conditions. Unlike other scholars who write on world Christianity, Peter C. Phan draws the conclusion, that we have world Christianities and not world Christianity because “Christianity is variegated in self-definition, cultural and confessional ethos, doctrinal formulation, liturgical worship, and organizational structure …” (99). Thus, studies in world Christianity are better focused on the various geographical locations (continents) as is evident in Phan's long-standing devotion to Asian Christianities.
Phan's three-part book (in history, theology, and practice) written for The Edward Cadbury Lecture, exhaustively treats the various themes in world Christianities including Asian Catholicism, inculturation (Asian Christian identity), Asian Protestantism, Vietnamese and Chinese Catholicism, migration, ecclesiology, spirituality, ecology, interreligious dialogue including Catholic dialogue with Confucianism, as well as the impact of world Christianity on theology and practice, that is, the role of world Christianity in societies. Phan views Asian Catholicism (which he limits chiefly to East and South Asia) from the lens of the Second Vatican Council as received by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) and the Asian Synod. The focus is on the inculturation of Christianity into Asian local cultures, that is, on the question of Asian Christian identity: “Are Asian Christians primarily Asian and secondarily Christian or vice versa? Or are they by necessity persons of hyphenated identity: Asian-Christian and Christianity-Asian?” (xvi). On the theme of Asian Protestant Christianity, Phan tells the stories of growth, expansion, and challenges of Protestant missions in the wake of colonialism in various parts of the continent. Factors responsible for growth include involvement in social intervention programs like health care and education, and efforts toward ecumenism and interreligious dialogue. The major challenge, which is mind-boggling to most Asians, especially the Chinese, is the problem of sectarian post-denominationalism, a product of the church-planting model of evangelization. The historical context of Vietnamese Christianity is the communist political institutions suspicious of Christianity. Church and state relations in Vietnam have been tenuous, with the state suspecting religious organizations and institutions as foreign and thus seeking to control religious activities under the pretext of national security. Phan notes this situation is improving but remarks that much still needs to be done toward fostering closer collaboration, reducing suspicion, and building trust toward promoting national unity and prosperity for all. Not left out as the major challenge of Christianity in Vietnam and in Asia is the neoliberal capitalist market economy's promotion of consumerism, which leads the younger population to neglect Christianity and all forms of religious life in pursuit of wealth.
Phan breaks new ground in the systematic study of world Christianity by going beyond the doctrinal concern of systematic theology to “focus on the challenges of world Christianities to the theological enterprise …” (101). Some of these challenges have theological, ecclesial, spiritual, and hermeneutical problems arising from the various ways of engaging the issue of religious pluralism. For instance, what is involved in the act of reading the religious texts of other religions? Could it not lead to syncretism or multiple religious belongings? Can we regard non-Christian Scriptures as divine revelations analogous to the Bible? Phan does not shy away from these questions or settle with the already made neoconservative solutions arising from such church documents as Dominus Iesus (2000). He critiqued Vincent of Lerins’ criteria for doctrinal development as not being geographically broad enough even in his own time, and more so in the context of world Christianities. He suggests an understanding of sensus fidei and sensus fidelium that goes beyond the hierarchy to include the beliefs of ordinary Christians. Not to be left behind is Phan's extensive treatment of world Christianity in the age of migration and his recommendation of a reconfiguration of migrants not as problems but as “undreamt-of-opportunities” for the church to rejuvenate itself and be more fully Catholic, that is, “essentially an institutional migrant” (275).
Methodologically, Phan introduces each chapter and provides an outline to guide the reader. The book is not just theoretical; it is historical, theological, and practical, bringing together liberation theology, social spirituality, and political holiness in ways most books that focus on praxis neglecting theory fail to do. Finally, the footnotes are rich in resources for further research on the diverse themes of world Christianity. The book is therefore accessible not only to undergraduate and to graduate studies in world Christianities but also to scholars engaged in various aspects of theology. I highly recommend this book.
